Forward card

A smart choice if you’re new to credit cards or want to improve your credit score.

Check if you’re eligible first

Applying for more than one credit card in a short space of time could affect your credit score.

Use our free eligibility checker before applying to find out whether you’re likely to be accepted for a card. It only takes a few minutes and it won’t affect your credit score.

You might be eligible for some of our other credit card offers. Check your eligibility for our other cards to make sure you’re getting the best offer for you.

Check eligibility

Your Barclaycard Forward at a glance

A personalised credit limit between £50 and £1,200
0% on purchases in the first three months after you open your account
With our price promise, you’ll get a 3% reduction in your interest rate if you make your payments on time for the first year. If you keep it going in the second year, we’ll give you another 2% reduction. Have a look at the ‘How does the price promise work’ section below to find out more
Manage your account with text or email alerts when your balance is due. It’ll help you track your spending and build your credit score

The approval of your application depends on your financial circumstances and borrowing history.

What do these rates mean?

Summary of rates Terms and conditions [PDF, 245KB]

Representative example

Representative 33.9% (variable)

Purchase rate p.a. 33.9% (variable)

Based on credit limit of £1,200

Check your eligibility

Important information

We’ll reduce your cash and standard rate in the first two years, as long as you make your minimum payments on time. The rate reduction will be 3% in the first year and 2% in the second.

If you don’t qualify in the first year, but do qualify in the second, you’ll get a reduction of 3% in that year.

The rate reduction starts from the date you receive your statement for the anniversary month of when you opened your account.

Your interest rates will move up and down in line with changes to the Bank of England Base Rate. If your rates change because of the Base Rate, any price promise reduction you get will be applied to the new higher or lower rate.

Making minimum payments

Making minimum payments could help you to get a rate reduction, but the longer you take to clear your balance, the more interest you’ll pay. If you choose to pay a little more each month, you could clear your balance sooner and pay less in interest.

Enter your details into our repayment calculator to explore your options.

Repayment calculator
If you decide to apply, please make sure you read the information below, which will tell you how interest is charged and how to manage your account.
Our Forward card has a personalised credit limit based on what you can afford. If you go over your credit limit, you’ll have to pay a £12 fee and it’ll affect your credit score. You can set up alerts to tell you when you're getting close to your credit limit, so you can either make a payment or change your spending habits.
You can pick your preferred payment date, and you’ll have several options to choose from when you set up a Direct Debit

Minimum amount – you’ll avoid late payment fees, but you’ll need to make additional payments, especially if you keep using your card. You could end up paying more in interest than towards clearing your balance

Fixed amount – set your monthly Direct Debit at an amount you can afford. If it falls below the minimum amount, we’ll increase it so you’re not charged a fee. Make sure to review the fixed amount every few months

Full amount – this is the best option, as it limits the amount of interest you’ll pay. You’ll need to decide whether you can afford to pay this
With our Forward card, you’ll get alerts to let you know when your balance is due, when you’ve reached your balance limit, or when your statement is available. You can turn these alerts on or off at any time.
Your new account will be set up with digital statements, which can be found in Online Banking – you’ll need to register for this. You can choose to switch to paper statements at any time.

To help you manage your account, take a look at our information on the types of fees we may charge and how promotional rates work.

Your standard and cash interest rates will move up and down in line with the Bank of England Base Rate, so your rate might change before we reduce it. More information is available on our understanding interest page.

If you request a balance transfer, due to the way we’ll calculate your credit limit, it might go down if you don’t complete that transfer within 60 days of opening the account.

This offer is only available if this is your first credit card with us, and we reserve the right to withdraw it at any time. Terms and conditions apply and a Barclaycard is subject to application and status.